Peter George Spenser Penlington (born 13 December 1932) is a retired judge from New Zealand.

Early life and education

Penlington was born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

on 13 December 1932. His parents were Spenser Penlington and Marjorie Ethel Penlington (). His great-grandfather, William Penlington, was

mayor of Akaroa In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

in the 1880s. He received his education at

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

Primary School, Christ's College (1946–1950), and the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

. He graduated with a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

in 1956 and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor the same year.

Professional career

Civil law

Penlington started work as a clerk for R. A. Young Hunter & Co in 1951. In the following year, he changed to Wynn Williams & Co as a law clerk. In 1957, he returned to R. A. Young Hunter & Co, becoming a partner in 1959. He left in 1977 to set up his own practice. In 1990, he was appointed judge of the High Court. He held membership of the prosecutors panel from 1968 to 1990. In 1974/75, he was president of the

Law Society A law society is an association of lawyers with a regulatory role that includes the right to supervise the training, qualifications, and conduct of lawyers. Where there is a distinction between barristers and solicitors, solicitors are regulated ...

's Canterbury district. He was on the Law Society's national council from 1972 to 1974.

Military law

From 1956 to 1962, Penlington was with the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

and attained the rank of lieutenant. From 1968 to 1983, he was

judge-advocate Judge-advocates are military lawyers serving in different capacities in the military justice systems of different jurisdictions. Australia The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Regular and Reserve commissioned officers that provi ...

. From 1983 to 1990, he served as judge of the

court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

appeal court.

Awards

On 18 December 1978, Penlington was appointed

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

Publications

Together with Justice Anthony Willy, he published the legal textbook ''Penlington and Willy High Court forms'' in 1985.

Family

Penlington married Gillian Beatrix Ramsden in 1960. They had two sons and one daughter. Ross Penlington (1931–2001), who was a Court of Appeal Judge in Hong Kong, was a second cousin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penlington, Peter 1932 births Living people

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

People educated at Christ's College, Christchurch University of Canterbury alumni High Court of New Zealand judges New Zealand King's Counsel